Castle Plays Clue
by kinnikinnicks
Summary: When Castle and Beckett are invited to a dinner party, the last thing they expect is to come face to face with the man who murdered Johanna Beckett.
1. And Ryan isn't even invited

**A/N: Whew. Okay. New story. **

"Oh come on!" Ryan pouted. "How is it that both of you got invitations to some fancy dinner party and I didn't?"

"Maybe we're just better that you." Esposito smirked.

Beckett peered at the formal invitation carefully. "I'm not going."

"What?" Esposito gasped.

"I don't even know these people. Why would I go over to their house and eat their food?" She stuffed the invitation into her desk drawer and slammed it shut.

"It's free food!" Ryan waved his hand in the air. "If you're not going, can I?"

Just then Captain Montgomery strode into the precinct. Ryan and Esposito both scrambled to start their paperwork.

"Working, I hope?" Montgomery laughed.

"Yes, sir." Ryan nodded.

Montgomery eyed the invitation on Esposito's desk.

"Esposito, you going to that?" His brow was knitted in confusion.

"Yes, sir." Esposito smiled. "So's Beckett."

"That so?" Montgomery turned to Beckett.

"I got an invitation." Beckett sighed. "So did Castle."

Montgomery raced to his office as Ryan yelled, "Is _everyone_ invited except for me?"

* * *

><p>Three days, and much whining later found Kate Beckett knocking on the door of Castle's loft. She was wearing a dark red dress and killer shoes that were already making her feet hurt.<p>

As unhappy as she was, she let out an involuntary giggle when Castle opened the door. He was wearing a purple suit. An actual _purple_ suit.

"Castle," Beckett smirked, "What exactly are you wearing?"

"It's not my fault!" Castle grinned. "My invitation said to wear purple."

"Mine said to wear red." Beckett looked up at him and they locked eyes. _What exactly was going on?  
><em>

* * *

><p>Javier Esposito smiled at himself in the mirror as he tightened his tie. He looked good in green, he had to admit. Lanie was right- the tie was perfect for him. But honestly, what kind of dinner party tells you what color to wear?<p>

* * *

><p>Montgomery winced as he drove his car up the long, twisting driveway. He came to a halt in front of the wide doors of the mansion.<p>

"You sure you want to come, Evelyn?" His voice quavered, and he fiddled nervously with the cuffs of his mustard yellow shirt.

"I'm sure, baby." His wife smiled. "It'll be fun, right?" She affixed a single peacock feather firmly in her hair.

"Right." Montgomery gulped.

**A/N: I promised myself a long time ago that I was never going to be one of those people that begged for reviews. But now I'm going to anyway. Reviews are awesome. Please leave one. **


	2. Creepy butlers and rain

**A/N: Thanks so much for you reviews! If anyone is interested in being a beta for this story, let me know.**

Chapter Two: In which the requisite creepy mansion is introduced

Captain Montgomery raised the doorknocker with both hands and let it fall.

_BANG._

The door opened immediately to reveal a man dressed in a tuxedo.

"Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery! I'm so glad you made it here safely! And before the rain- please, come in." He stepped to the side and held out his arm. "I am the butler here. May I take your coats?" He grinned.

"Oh, yes. Please." Mrs. Montgomery smiled. The Captain looked rather grim.

"I'm sure Mrs. White- she's our maid, of course- would love to show you into the lounge while our other guests arrive."

Suddenly an elderly woman appeared beside them.

"Follow me, dearies. Follow me." She hobbled off down a dimly lit corridor and Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery hesitantly followed.

* * *

><p>It was raining, and Kate Beckett was lost.<p>

"I think we were supposed to take that left." Castle craned his neck backwards.

"What left?" Beckett peered through the windshield.

"That one back there- do you want me to dr-"

"I know how to drive, Castle." Beckett snapped.

"I know you know how to drive." Castle sighed. "I just thought it might be easier-"

"I drive. You sit." Beckett clenched the wheel tightly.

* * *

><p>As Esposito drove up the driveway he found himself wishing Lanie was there. Or Ryan. Why wasn't Ryan invited, anyway? It didn't make any sense.<p>

Esposito was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice the dog until it was right in front of his car.

"Shit!" He turned the wheel sharply, sending himself spinning off the road, directly into a tree. As he pulled himself out of the wrecked car, he thought he heard the dog howling.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, Mrs. White came to a stop in front of a dark mahogany door. She pulled a ring of keys from her pocket and selected one carefully, placing it into the keyhole.<p>

"The lounge, dearies. Make yourself at home." She placed the key ring back in her pocket and led the Montgomerys inside. "Would you care for a drink?"

Captain Montgomery shook his head. "No thank you, Mrs. White."

"All right then. Dinner soon!" She hobbled back though the doorway, closing the door behind her. The click of the lock was barely audible.

Mrs. Montgomery squeezed her husband's hand.

"Come on." Esposito groaned. The driveway was much longer than he had expected, and it was raining harder now.

Finally, he spotted a house through the rain. A mansion, really. Borderline castle. He knocked on the door and smiled in relief when it opened to reveal a smartly dressed man carrying a towel.

"Perhaps you would care to dry off a bit before joining the others, sir?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great." Esposito smiled.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, the butler opened the door to reveal Castle and Beckett standing in the doorway, bickering.<p>

"It was luck, Castle." Beckett sighed.

"Luck? That doesn't even make sense! I made the turn I had been telling you to make for an hour!"

The butler cleared his throat.

"Mr. Castle, Miss Beckett. Would you care to join our other guests in the sitting room? Dinner is about to be served."

**A/N: Ooh...dinner. It can only get creepier from here. Let me know what you think so far! Preferably in review-form. **


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